If we have any hope of pulling this country back from the brink, we need to work alongside BIPOC youth activists who are putting their lives on the line to protect their communities.

We will work together with young people to remain vigilant and ensure that the Biden-Harris administration and  Congress commit to progressive solutions, including abortion access for all, expanded access to free healthcare, and a true commitment to racial justice that not only stops the explosion of white nationalist terrorism, but also provides real economic opportunity for people of color, and listens to young activists on the ground about what they truly need to move this country forward.

We tell young people this basic tenet of democracy in elementary school. We urge them to vote no matter what. And vote they did, turning out in record numbers on election day and in the weeks before. In spite of the pandemic, the barriers to voting in many communities, even voter intimidation at the polls, they registered friends and made sure family members could get their ballots in.

Now we must honor their work and count their votes.

". Our research found that sex education has the potential do so much more. The impact of quality sex education that addresses the broad range of sexual health topics extends beyond pregnancy and STIs and can improve school success, mental health, and safety. As with all other areas of the curriculum, building an early foundation and scaffolding learning with developmentally appropriate content and teaching are key to long-term development of knowledge, attitudes, and skills that support healthy sexuality."

So many of our communities have been put in danger by this reckless, cruel administration and Congress. There are wounds that can never be healed, and each day we reckon with all that has been lost. I know it can be hard to find a glimmer of hope. But young people led the fight against this nomination.And now they are regrouping, strategizing, and finding a way forward.

"The fight in court is just one piece of the puzzle. No matter what next steps we choose to take, we will continue fighting hand in hand with student survivors to pass the best policies possible in states, school districts, and on college campuses. We refuse to stop fighting until the cost of education no longer includes sexual violence."